Family Nudity: Teaching Kids to Be Comfortable With Their Bodies

Family Undressing: Teach Kids to Be Proud of Their Bodies

May 4, 2010

Source: Getty

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No shoes, no shirt, no service! It's the message that American society sends to children. We may be the "land of the free and the home of the brave" but does baring it all happen as often here as it does in places like the French Riviera where moms and daughters go topless at the beach and the only ones batting an eye are tourists? We've covered many topics on the human form and its family friendliness from naked baby bath tub pics to Heidi Klum's au natural artwork, check out what our readers had to say about making children comfortable with their bodies and chime in with your opinion!

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4 Comments

2 years 52 weeks

I disagree I think walking around naked anywhere ON THIS GOSHDAMN EARTH should be FORBIDDEN to anyone by the highest of penalities. including, DEATH The reason I feel so strongly about people staying private about their PRIVATE parts is because I WORSHIP THE DARK LORD SATAN jk

3 years 2 weeks

I knew a woman once who got a TOWEL to wrap around her 8 month olds neck while she was feeding him spaghetti at home; "so he doesn't get his clothes dirty". WHAT?? Just take off the shirt, it's way easier to wash the baby than the clothing! "OMG I couldn't do that, we'd see his chest!" er...so? Apparently (she told me so) she conceived 4 children with a man that she had never seen undressed, and he had never seen her either. I just can't wrap my mind around that mindset. The human body was never something to be ashamed of, what you may have done to it might embarrass you (that tattoo you woke up with one hungover day), but in and of itself there is nothing bad there. My dad let me run around shirtless (most of the girls did where I grew up) just like the boys until I had something to show. It didn't scar me for life or anything. My dad bathed my brother and I together until the little brat started teasing me for having hair where he didn't! But dad still had to assist me in the shower sometimes - once I got soap in an uncomfortable place, and kept calling him to please just come here a minute, (he had people from work over) and he finally asked me to just say why I needed him, so I yelled from upstairs; "Daddy, I got soap in my bottom!!" HAHAHAHA poor guy. I do have to remind my 10 year old not to walk around between the bathroom and the bedrooms naked when we have houseguests (oops!) but she developed her own modesty without our input. Daddy or Mommy, or even sisters can help her in the shower (sometimes, she still needs it lol) but don't open the bathroom door when she is in there or else! You can teach a child that it is okay to not cover up around family; but YOU have to be comfortable with it, too. It won't damage the child in any way, and they won't not develop a sense of privacy and modesty.

3 years 2 weeks

lol - I agree. the girls run naked in the backyard most of the time, but our fence is high and fairly private. In the house I'm usually fully clothed, but I'm always colder than them. DH may or may not wear clothing. We have family baths/showers the girls know the names of all male and female body parts. and they are figuring out that it's only okay to touch when invited. Same goes for washing, sometimes DH or I help the girls wash, but if they say no we stop instantly. It is their body, and their right to say no. I figure they'll be more likely to have positive relationships if they know their bodies are their own, and they know we are comfortable in our bodies and that everyone is normal. Babies on the beach? Well I think diapers of some sort are good - after all who wants poop on the sand? but until theya re older there is no need to cover. We do put our girls in body suits, but more for sun protection, then modesty - and that's how we present it.

MissSushi 3 years 3 weeks

I often wish we lived far enough in the country so we could frolic half naked in the back yard. lol. I hate clothing, its so restrictive. My daughter was stripping out of her clothes around 9 months.